The night was not about charity nor was it about parents forcing their teenagers to go. One peek at the excitement, the smiles and the laughter in the room and you knew that the teenagers chose to be there and it was a night they would never forget. In one word, the night represents joy.

This year, 248 special-needs guests were paired up with teenage escorts for an evening that included food, dancing and a photo booth. There were more teenage escorts ready to volunteer than there were guests.

Some teenagers doubled up as dates and others went to the dance alone to just be a part of the event. No teenagers complained, no one acted upset or angry, and no one let any disappointment ruin the evening. The teenagers, happy to be there and happy to be making others happy, shined that night.